A guide to Advocacy

and Campaigning

for young people

RAISE YOUR

VOICE

"Never doubt that a

small group of

thoughtful,

committed, citizens

can change the

world. Indeed, it is

the only thing that

ever has."

Margaret Mead

Raise Your Voice is a rough

guide to Campaigning,

Advocacy and Publicity. It is all

about you and what you want to

see changed for the better in

your community. This could be

anything that affects you,

whether local, national or even

international.

This guide outlines a variety of

ways to get your voice heard in the

local community and beyond. It

will give you all the tools you need

to begin a successful campaign.

Remember, you can bring about

positive change and you do have

the power to make this world a

better place.

So, what exactly is

Campaigning?

Campaigning is a series of

organised activities undertaken to

make a change in your

community. When you are

campaigning it means you are

identifying an issue, alerting the

community to the issue or taking

action to solve the issue.

Campaigning is something you

can do as an individual or with the

help of others.

The Campaign Concept

Campaigning is about

communicating ideas.

A Campaign is made of two

primary elements: Publicity and

Advocacy.

Publicity is all about making sure

as many people as possible know

about your Campaign and what

you want to achieve. It may

involve writing press releases,

building a website or organising an

Raise Your Voice

Campaign

Publicity

Advocacy

Planning Your

Campaign

What do you want to change?

Before starting your campaign,

you need to consider what you

wish to change and how you will

go about doing this.

Is there an existing campaign

you can lend your support to?

Perhaps you have a great idea to

promote or fundraise in support of

an existing local campaign - such

as for a school, youth club or local

charity. If so, approach them and

tell them about it. You may

already find people are

campaigning for the same

purpose, so rather than repeat

what they are doing, why not ask if

you can join them?

event or publicity stunt to get

noticed.

Advocacy is a process by which

an individual or a group aims to

influence a wider decision. It may

involve writing letters to politicians,

collecting signatures on a petition

or direct action such as fundraising

in support of a group or just raising

awareness of an issue.

Publicity is how you get noticed,

Advocacy is what you do once

you have been noticed. The better

your Publicity, the more visible

your cause becomes and the more

potential supporters you can

engage. A greater number of

supporters ensures your

Advocacy can reach as widely as

possible.

"If you don't like the

news, go out and

make some of your

own."

Wes Nisker

“We are the

children of

yesterday, the voice

of today and the

leaders of

tomorrow.”

DofE Participant

What are your desired

outcomes?

Whether you are fundraising,

making a petition or simply want to

draw attention to something you

feel is important, you should set a

clear target to aim for and ensure

your supporters understand

exactly what you are hoping to

achieve.

Are your outcomes realistic and

achievable?

Specific, realistic goals motivate

your supporters, so start small.

Remember, all great journeys

begin with a single step.

Advocacy means to speak on

behalf of something or someone.

Central to effective communication

is having a clear message and

identity. This may include a core

statement, a logo, branding or

memorable slogan. Many

different elements can make up a

creative concept, so go ahead

and get creative!

Write down the aims and ideas of

your campaign to share with your

group and supporters. This makes

sure you are all using the right

language when you are talking

about your campaign and makes

people more likely to notice and

understand you.

You may want to think about a

slogan or image to help give

you and your supporters an

identity. This could be

incorporated into flyers or

posters to spread your

message.

A slogan doesn’t have to be

funny or clever but it should

be memorable, original and

relevant. It’s better to be

direct than be confusing by

trying to be too catchy. Find

slogans that have been

successful to use as a model.

A slogan should capture

attention, be easy to

remember and highlight your

key agenda. A good recent

example would be: “Make

Poverty History”

There are a number of different

ways to advocate but they all

involve persuading people to

people support your campaign and

demonstrating that you have

enough support to encourage a

change. The simplest way to do

this is through a Petition, but you

can also attempt to contact

decision makers or other influential

people directly, as their support

will be more influential.

Petitions

A petition is a written request to an

official person or organisation for

action. The document is a list of

signed names of people who

agree with a certain request.

Starting a petition is a great way to

get a large number of people

involved in an issue you are

concerned about. A huge impact

can be made by the number of

people you could get to sign your

petition.

Online Petitions:

Many petitions can be created

online. Set up your own petition,

on any subject at

GoPetition.co.uk and you can’

use their online campaign tools

to promote it.

Create a petition online and

then put it as your status on

Facebook or tweet about it.

This way all your friends and

followers can see it.

In the UK, you can even

influence Government policy if

you set up a petition at

ePetitions.Direct.gov.uk. If a

petition receive 100,000

signatures then it will be eligible

for debate in the House of

Commons.

Things to consider when

starting a petition

When writing the petition, make

sure you identify who you are

going to send it to. It should be

aimed at a decision maker who

has the power to make the

change your signatories are

asking for. It could be your MP,

your Headteacher or the Chief

Executive of a business or

organisation.

Do your research! Start your

petition with a request followed

by well researched reasons

why you are making the

request.

Keep it clear and concise.

Advocacy "Activism begins

with you,

Democracy begins

with you, get out

there, get active!

Tag, you're it!"

Thom Hartmann

Case Study: The British Youth

Council (BYC) has a campaign

for lowering voting age to 16.

They are encouraging young

people to learn about voting

rights and petition on their

behalf.

Writing to Your MP

A Member of Parliament (MP) is

someone who has been chosen

through voting by people in the UK

to represent the views of local

people in Parliament. In

Parliament, MPs vote on laws and

speak to other MPs about issues

in your area.

Writing to your MP is a great way

to campaign. It is an easy way to

tell your MP about the issue you

want changed. Don’t hesitate to

raise your voice! Your MP is

representing you and your views.

“I feel young

people are being

listened to more

than before with

issues regarding

youth in society…”

Aqsa, Gold DofE

Participant,

London Borough

of Brent

Tips on Contacting your MP:

Dedicate your letter to one

issue. Make sure you have

fully researched your issue.

Give personal examples. The

more you personalise your

letter the more of an impact it

will make.

Tell them what you want. If

you want them to raise your

issue in Parliament, then ask!

Many MPs have Facebook

and Twitter accounts, so follow

them to maintain contact .

Write on their Facebook wall

or Tweet to them about your

issue to see if their other

followers share your concerns

or issues.

(Name of your MP)

House of Commons

London

SW1A 0AA

Dear (Name of your MP),

I am contacting you as someone who lives in your constituency who (introduce problem).

(Describe how the problem affects you).

I would be very grateful if you could (what you want your MP to do and why).

If you would like further information on the issue, please contact me.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

(Your Name)

You can find out who your MP

is, by searching the website of

the UK Parliament:

“...but with things

like the rise in

university tuition

fees, I don't think

young people have

been listened to

all.”

Aqsa, Gold DofE

Participant,

London Borough

of Brent

Meeting your MP

If you want to personally talk with

someone about your issue,

meeting your MP is also a great

idea.

Things to consider when

meeting your MP

Book an appointment.

Invite your MP to an event you

might hold

Tell them about your issue

before you go. This allows your

MP to research the issue and be

well informed.

Write down some points you

want to talk about so you don’t

forget what you want to say.

Tell them what you want. If you

want them to raise your issue in

Parliament, then ask!

Advocacy:

DofE Volunteering

Activities:

Community Action & Raising

Awareness, Helping a Charity

or Community Organisation,

Fundraising.

Case Study: A participant

volunteered to campaign on

behalf of a charity for homeless

people, giving presentations to

school & community groups on

homelessness issues and how

the charity responds to these.

Don’t be afraid, your MP is there

to represent your views. They

want to hear from young people.

Tips on Press Releases: Avoid using too many

adjectives or fancy words.

Strive to eliminate expressions

that are flattering, disparaging,

vague or clichéd.

Include a clear description of

your issue and why it is

important.

If you don’t have any response,

don’t bombard your contacts

with follow up messages. Wait

a couple of weeks and send a

polite message asking if your

press release had been

received.

For a campaign to be successful,

people need to know about it.

Your intended outcome may even

be simply to inform & raise

awareness of an issue. To spread

the word as widely as possible,

make a list of contacts and target

those that cover your community

or have a particular interest in the

issues you are raising.

Sending a letter to a

Local Newspaper

If you do not feel comfortable

issuing a press release, send a

personal letter instead. A letter

can be written from a more

personal perspective and include

first hand examples.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Title of your Press Release

CITY, COUNTRY, DATE -

Opening paragraph: This should be only about 3 sentences.

Provide a quick overview of the issue and why it is important.

Remainder paragraphs should include relevant information on your issue and what you are doing. It is also wise to include a background on the issue—but try to keep the Press Release to a single page.

You should always close with: ―for more information contact: (your

name and a contact email or telephone number)‖

###

Issuing a Press Release

to your Local Media

A press release is a written

document sent to the news media

for the purpose of announcing

something. A press release

provides the reporter with basics

needed to develop a story.

Things to consider when

issuing a press release

Clarify what you are doing to

change the issue for the better

Announce any events or the

launch of website or petition

Tell readers what they can do

to help

Press and Publicity “If you ask me what

I came into this life

to do, I will tell

you: I came to live

out loud.”

Emile Zola

Direct Action

Direct Action involves leading by

example. If there is something you

can directly make a difference to

that will demonstrate to the public

the nature of the positive change

you wish to make. For example: if

you want to campaign to improve

the local environment, you could

identify a shared public space to

clean or garden and invite the

community to show what a

difference your intervention has

made.

Holding an Event Holding an event in your area is an

easy way to raise your issue in

your community. You could invite

your community leaders, local

celebrities, and/or your MP to the

event and ask them for their

Calling into a Radio or

TV station

Every radio and TV station has

some time devoted to their

audience. This is your chance –

call in to an appropriate program

to raise your issue!

Things to consider when calling

into a media station

Prepare what you want to say

in advance and have 3 good

points you want to tell the

audience.

Speak clearly in short

purposeful sentences, don’t be

tempted to argue and try not to

be distracted.

Press & Publicity

DofE Skills Activities:

Event Planning, Media &

Communication.

Case Study: Create a series of

short films on an issue or

cause you feel strongly about.

Post and promote online and

collect feedback.

support. You can also fundraise

for your cause.

Things to consider when

planning an event

How big do you want your event to be?

Is there any existing organization that can provide funding?

See if there are any holidays or major events that might coincide with your event.

Possible event ideas

Sponsored Run or Walk

Ask your local community to help

organise a walk or run for your

cause.

Fundraising Dinner

Ask your school for help in

organising a dinner at your school.

Sporting event

Ask your community for help in

organising a sports game.

Charity Auction

Ask your friends and family or

corporations for donation of things

that can be sold to raise money.

“Act as if what you

do makes a

difference. It does.”

William James

Social Media Online Social Media offers you

amazing tools for Publicity and

Advocacy—you now have the

ability to Raise Your Voice

locally...or globally!

Online tools

Launch a simple website

or start a blog in which

you can post your petition,

event information and

other documents.

Create a Facebook Fan

Page or Group Page to

promote your campaign,

share links to materials,

other media and

communicate directly with

your supporters.

“Don’t get mad, get

organised”

Unknown

Spread the word through

Twitter and find out what

other people are saying.

With Twitter, you can

contact many different

people directly, from

politicians to celebrities.

Record videos to promote

your campaign and your

event and post it on

YouTube.

If you don’t have access to

a video camera—or you

don’t want to appear

onscreen—you could

make a simple animation

to spread your message

with GoAnimate.com or

put together a dynamic

presentation to share

online with Prezi.com

“If you can dream

it, you can do it.”

Walt Disney Research your issues thoroughly

and see if there are any lessons to

be learned from similar

campaigns. Many charities or

pressure groups have

downloadable materials or

petitions for local campaigners to

use.

UK Youth Parliament

Run by young people, the UK

Youth Parliament provides

opportunities for 11-18 year-olds

to use their voice in creative ways

to bring about social change.

www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk

The British Youth Council

The British Youth Council, as the

national youth council of the UK,

aims to connect with our member

organisations and networks of

local youth councils, to empower

young people aged 25 and under,

wherever they are from, to have a

say and be heard.

www.byc.org.uk

The Children's Commissioner

Promoting the views and best

interests of children and young

people in England

www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk

Citizenship Foundation

An independent education and

participation charity, they

encourage and enable people to

engage in democratic society.

www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk

Local Giving

Promoting philanthropic giving to

small local charities and

community groups in the UK, you

can upload the details a planned

event, project or intervention in

order to fundraise.

www.localgiving.org.uk

Participation Works

Participation Works is a

partnership of

seven national children and young

people's agencies that enable

organisations to effectively involve

children and young people in the

development, delivery and

evaluation of services that affect

their lives. They have lots of

downloadable resources for youth

campaigning and participation.

www.participationworks.org.uk

Find out more

Acknowledgements Editorial team: Mona Jo, Alexandra Pascutio, Matthew Barnett

Thanks to: Emma Flynn, Mariam Azim, Lucy McDermott, Simrin Grewall,

Samuel Odwina, Adedoyin Sonibare, Yasser Ali Mahmood and the DofE London Team.

DofE programme are delivered

under licence by over 400

partners (Operating Authorities)

who offer it in over 11,000 DofE

groups run in centres such as

youth clubs, voluntary

organisations, schools, colleges,

Young Offender Institutions and

businesses, which are run and

supported by over 50,000 adult

volunteers.

Where is it run?

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award - London, Award House, 7-11 St. Matthew Street, London SW1P 2JT The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a Registered Charity No. 1072490 and a Royal Charter Corporation No. RC000806

For further details about delivery of DofE programmes contact:

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Award House 7-11 St. Matthew St. London SW1P 2JT

T: 0207 227 9820 E: London@DofE.org

W: DofE.org/London

@dofelondon

/DofELondon

The DofE Charity

Youth Charity The Duke of

Edinburgh’s Award supports

over 40,000 people aged 14-24

every year across the Capital.

Our ethos is to enable every

young person of every

background to take part in our

programmes and succeed,

regardless of any barriers.

Principles of all DofE Programmes

Non-competitive

Achievable by all

Voluntary

Personal development

Personalised

Balanced

Progressive

Achievement focussed

Demand commitment

Enjoyable

Our mission

To inspire, guide and support

young people in their self

development and recognise their

achievements.

DofE programmes

Anyone aged between 14 and

24 can do a programme at one

of the three progressive levels

which, when successfully

completed, lead to a Bronze,

Silver or Gold Duke of

Edinburgh’s Award. There are

four sections at Bronze and

Silver level and five at Gold:

Volunteering - undertaking service to individuals or the community

Physical - improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities

Skills - developing practical and social skills and personal interests

Expedition – planning, training for and completing an adventurous

journey in the UK or abroad.

At Gold level, participants must also do an additional fifth Residential

section which involves staying and working away from home doing a shared activity

Achieving a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Young people will achieve a Duke

of Edinburgh’s Award if they show

persistence, commitment and

personal development over a

period of time. Every activity must

be successfully completed and

assessed. The result is the

world’s leading achievement

award for young people,

recognised by employers and

universities alike.

We help instil a sense of

adventure and have a lasting

impact on young people’s

behaviour, skills and life

chances.

Further

information

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award